At Muratie, the passion for preserving the estate’s rich heritage and
the intriguing human stories woven into the very fabric of its centuries old
history, are captured in every nook and cranny of this family farm, where the unique
old-world ambience is almost tangible.
Muratie’s history is also commemorated in the naming of the estate’s wines after the extraordinary characters from the farm’s colourful past,
each with its own enchanting story described on the back label. And there are a
myriad stories reaching as far back as the 17th century, making
Muratie one of the oldest wineries in the Cape Winelands.
Muratie Ben
Prins Cape Vintage
Muratie’s popular Cape Vintage pays homage to the estate’s legendary
Ben Prins, winemaker at Muratie from 1957 until 1987. Affectionately
known as Barefoot Ben, his trademark was his bare feet. According to his wife, Gienie, he hardly
ever wore shoes apart from going to church on a Sunday. As unique as the wines he produced, he believed
that any ‘unnecessary novelties’ like shoes were ‘verboten’. A hard-working,
no-nonsense kind of a man - quiet, contemplative and exceptionally particular -
he was both a perfectionist and a traditionalist. It was said of perfectionist Ben
that he knew wine like the back of his hand ... or indeed, his foot!
Muratie’s Port, which became synonymous with the
popular family estate, was first produced by George Paul Canitz in the 1940’s,
more than 70 years ago. Ben Prins arrived at Muratie in 1957, just before GP
Canitz died, and the Muratie Port tradition continued during the 30 years while
Ben was at Muratie, and still continues today.
The
Vineyards, Harvest and Cellar
Muratie Cape
Vintage Port is produced from a vineyard planted way back in 1965. The traditional
Portuguese varietals (Tinta Barocca, Tinta Roritz, Tinta Francesca and Souzao)
are all planted in the same block. This block is hand harvested at the same
time so this “field blend” is unique to the Muratie Cape Vintage. The grapes
are crushed, destalked and pumped into a classic open concrete fermenter.
Manual punch downs and pump overs are done at regular intervals. Fortification
with grape spirits is done at the critical time to ensure the classic Muratie
styled Vintage Port. Maturation takes place in old 225-litre French Oak Barrels
for a minimum of two years prior to bottling.
Winemaker’s Tasting Comments
A positive
bouquet of aromas comes forth from this fortified wine, with floral notes of
violets and rose petals vying for space with the ripe black cherries, dark
chocolate and sweet spice. A seamlessly-integrated Port which marries alcohol,
fruit and acidity into a delicious bundle of flavour – expect plum cake,
mulberry fruit and a generous seasoning of perfumed spice – supported by a
sturdy, but unobtrusive backbone of tannin and finishing positively, indicating
there is plenty more to come over the next ten years. The Muratie Ben Prins
Cape Vintage perfectly complements fireside contemplation and should be enjoyed
with game dishes and mature artisanal cheeses.
Retail Price
Muratie Ben Prins
Cape Vintage 2009, packaged in a stylish black canister, retails nationally for
approximately R170.
A Visit
to Muratie
A visit to Muratie today, still guarded over by ancient oak
trees, reveals a piece of history where time has largely stood still. The
original open fermenters and winemaking implements in the werf that greet you on arrival; the rickety cob-webbed tasting room
with stained glass windows; the renovated original old fermentation tanks, with
their tartaric encrusted walls, where lunches and functions are held; the
antique carpets and furniture; and original art; all adorn a unique and magical
environment where you can still enjoy good wine, honest farm food, and great
hospitality.
The many and varied attractions at Muratie include:
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Wine
tasting and sales daily
between 10am and 5pm in Muratie’s rickety cob-webbed old-world tasting room;
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The Melck family’s home-made
preserves and treats for sale at the tasting room, comprising nougat made from their
own free range eggs, honey from
the hives in the blue gum grove on the hill above the tasting room, home baked
rusks, as well as green fig preserves and apricot jam made by Rijk’s mother Annatjie
and his wife Kim, from fruit grown on the farm;
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The Farm Kitchen restaurant
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Winery and history tours by appointment
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GP Canitz Art Gallery in the refurbished historic
concrete tanks in the cellar
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Self-catering accommodation in GP Canitz’s original art
studio which he built with bricks made on the farm
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Functions
hosted in the cellar inside old tartaric acid-encrusted Burgundian open
fermenters which have been renovated and opened up for guest entertainment
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Private tastings in the Kneipzimmer, GP
Canitz’s drinking den
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Regular music concerts and art exhibitions
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Muratie mountain biking trail
Opening hours: Weekends from 07h00
Cost: R50 entrance
Distance: 22 to 26 km
Level of difficulty: Moderate
After the ride, relax under the oak
trees and enjoy a delicious breakfast or brunch and Muratie’s popular range of
wines.
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Herman
van Nazareth bronze statues: New to Muratie are twenty commanding Herman
van Nazareth bronze statues standing silent guard in the magnificent gardens
beneath the ancient oak trees at this historic estate. Born in Belgium in 1936,
Herman arrived in Cape Town in the early 1960s and played an important role in
the protest movements of the time. Internationally renowned for his diverse
artistic achievements, his work stresses anonymity, is simple in form, and
abstract-expressionist of thinking. The imagery is natural, powerful and
faceless, giving bold expression to the inhumanity that stems from the abuse of
power.
Tel: 021 865 2330 = Email: info@muratie.co.za = Website: www.muratie.co.za